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This week’s Abu Dhabi Tour (October 811) is drawing big names, including the newly-crowned World Champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), Grand Tour champions such as Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru, three times UCI Time Trial World Champion Tony Martin, some tasty sprinters such as Theo Bos,Matthew Goss, Mark Cavendish and Tom Boonen, Marcel Kittel, Michael Matthews  and Elia Viviani . Is the route all flat deserts? No it is not. Although four days doesn’t give the opportunity for a wide scope of stage profiles, there’s a testing climb to the finish on day three of the race (see below for maps/profiles). Stages one, two and four are very flat, though, giving the sprinters a chance to shine. Stage three will likely be the decider though, and we can look forward to the mountain men having one last uphill ding-dong before they put their bikes away for a month or two. Who is going to win? As we’ve mentioned, there are going to be a lot of weary legs in attendance. Vincenzo Nibali was in great shape to win Il Lombardia last weekend, and you can never discount WorldTour winner Alejandro Valverde, who can contest flat stages as well as climb. Team Sky’s Dutch climber ...

The 2016 Giro d’Italia course was unveiled today. Among the many revelations, one stand out in particular. To celebrate the 30th edition of the Maratona dles Dolomites​ next year, the 14th stage of the Giro will cross the iconic mountain roads of Europe’s premier Gran Fondo race. This is an exceptional acknowledgement by the Giro organizers to a sports event that in its thirty years of existence has succeeded in bringing to fruition the full potential of the Dolomite-biking experience, increasing the importance and awareness of the strategic benefits of two-wheeled tourism, not only in the Dolomites, but in all of Alto Adige. The stage will give participants of the Maratona the possibility, at a distance, to measure their steel up against professional cyclists along all the passes that characterize the Dolomitic event. Saturday, May 21st, the classic Dolomitic Queen Stage will leave Alpago and end in Alta Badia, in Corvara to be precise. When they reach the town of Arabba after 85 kilometers, riders will face the classic roads of the Maratona with its familiar pinwheel of breathtaking passes that overlook all the Ladin valleys: Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campolongo, Giau, Falzarego and Valparola. Once the riders reach La Villa, they’ll ...

Castelli are renowned for making garments that stand the test of time. But one item they produce has been more than just a game changer. It’s caused rival manufactures to sit up and try to keep up, it’s changed what many riders now expect from cycle clothing, it’s caused a tremor in the cycle clothing world that will surely be felt for a long time to come. You probably guessed what said item is, the now renowned Gabba. You know you’ve produced something special when it has an impact on the culture it was intended for, this may be the mainstream culture, a sub culture or in this case cycling culture. History has several examples of clothing making an impact on the culture of its time, changing and in some cases challenging how people think a product should look or perform. Mary Quant can lay claim to being the brains behind the mini skirt, it shook mainstream culture in a way that very few clothes had or have since. It was a rebellious item and still is, even 4 decades on. It screams what youth culture was at all about in the 60’s. Tennis culture had Stan Smith and Adidas, ...

We have decided to give away fifty Ass-Savers Folding Mud Guard in Team Garmin-Sharp colors. Entering is easy and open to all Castelli newsletter subscribers and Facebook fans. The usual Castelli rules apply (see below), only one entry is allowed per person, and you enter by sending us your answer and shipping details by email: blog@castelli-cycling.com What’s the name of the pro’s favorite Castelli jersey for cold and dry or wet and damp conditions? CONTEST RULES: 1. Contest is open to all Castelli Newsletter subscribers and Facebook fans. 2. This contest begins at 12:00 p.m. Central European Time (CET) on August 1, 2015, and ends at 12:00 p.m. (CET) on August 4, 2015. 3. The Castelli random-number generator will pick the lucky winners. Good luck!

Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling today announced its 2015 Tour de France Roster. The team features U.S. National Time Trial Champion, Andrew Talansky (10th overall in the 2013 Tour de France); Dan Martin (2014 Lombardia Champion and 2013 Tour de France Stage Winner) and Ryder Hesjedal (2012 Giro d’Italia Champion).  The three powerhouses will work together as co-leaders of the argyle squad and will be supported by a strong team including Tour veterans Jack Bauer, Kristijan Koren, Sebastian Langeveld, road captain; and Ramunas Navardauskas, 2014 Tour de France Stage winner. Dylan Van Baarle and Nathan Hass will both be riding their inaugural Tour de France. “We are going into the Tour de France with three leaders, all who have very different riding styles, and those styles compliment each other. Andrew, Dan and Ryder have shown they work well together, and that will translate to the roads of the Tour,” said Charly Wegelius, Director Sportif. “We have a very talented group of riders and by bringing three top guys: Andrew, Dan and Ryder, we’re going to make things very interesting.” “Supporting them is a strong bunch. Ramunas showed his strength with a stage win last year, and Jack Bauer will be looking for redemption after coming ...